same Church so Apostolicall so Christian that me thought I saw the very Primitiue faith and practise of the Apostles and the verie rites of their Church to be in it obserued And in these obseruations I began more inwardly to be moued because as my knowledge and inclination to allow of the Church of England and to abhorre the Romane heresies and abuses increased so also my soule increased in the loue of God detestation of sinne and auoiding the occasions of sinne the loathing of this life and an earnest desiring to be with Christ whom since my renouncing of Papistrie with the Father and holy Ghost as my soule euidently testifieth vnto me I do most sincerely loue and esteeme aboue all things in this world and so fully with my whole soule heart that me thought I could comfortably and confidently say vnto it with the words of the holy Prophet k Psal 114. conuertere c. my soule be couerted into thy rest for the Lord hath done well to thee And I could not me thought hinder the working of God within me nor refuse that testimony of S. Paul the holy l Ad Rom. 8. Ghost giueth testimonie vnto our soules that we are the children of God yet so if we suffer with Christ that we may also raigne with Christ The ninth Motiue I Should heere adde somewhat largely of their pernicious The ninth Motiue doctrine of equiâ—ocation which hath beene another no small Motiue with me for my conuersion which doctrine the Ignatians haue specialy set a foote at least in practise within this kingdome they forsooth who will not permit that the Scriptures of God should be promiscuously read by the vulgar people haue in their vulgar language in Pamphlets rather libels being without name dispersed throughout this kingdome the pestiferous doctrine of equiuocation with their strange and paradoxicall half propositions Amphibologies propositions forsooth out of their r Treatise of equiuocation written or published by Henry Garnet Ignatian Logicke halfe written halfe spoken halfe concealed and why bring they not in also as well propositions of a triple difference whereof one part may be spoken a second written a third concealed and not vttered and why not propositions of a quadruple difference as part written part spoken part by signes and part by concealment and so make mentall verball written and dum or silent propositioÌ„ all in one to set vp their vaine doctrine of equiuocation Some ingenious Pontificians of my acquaintance there are who do what you can yet you cannot driue this doctrine of equiuocation into their heads but such as haue beene brought vp vnder the Ignatians and are deuoted vnto them they haue their lesson at their fingers ends Not long since there was Å¿ Iohn Koome one of these Ignatian Priests who being examined by the Archibishop of Canterburie not long before his death did not onely denie himselfe to be a Priest but also by religious oath did forsweare the same being challenged for it he excused the same by the art of equiuocation stoutly auouching that he had beene so taught by his master a reader of the societie of Ignatius and indeed it is the doctrine almost of them all that any proposition whatsoeuer is or may be allowed by the art of equiuocation the same also may be confirmed and auerred true by religious oath and yet this equiuocating swearer so ready to forsweare and deny his Priesthood was a most bitter enemie against all such as would take or allow the taking of the oath of Alleageance in any sense whatsoever I could produce many such examples of equiuocating Ignatians one I will not omit of a friend of the Ignatians who wouldfaine haue beene an Ignatian before this but that Master Strange the Ignatian lately banished * R. C. the common collector for Recusants by the art of equiuocatioÌ„ protested to certaine Priests in the Clinke cóplaining of their wants the very day before the 1000 and certain 100 of pounds were taken from him that he knew not in the world where to fetch 20 shall this man had not sorgotten his Accidence rule huic habeo non tibi I dare auouch there is no day passeth in which he doth not religiously vse this art Some three daies since the 9. of Ianuary he hath sent in writing an equiuocating super sedeas that because he was thé sicke with an il stomack for the oath of allegeance he would provide for the Clinke prisoners no longer out of the towre told him that his imperfections should not be laid vpon their order being of such rare pharisaicall perfection forsooth This man is gracious with diuers worthie persons of the feminine sexe into whole fauours he hath wound himselfe so greatly that he can obtaine one of their fauours to weare next his skinne and ouer his whole bodie a whole weeke togither yea in the time of his holy imprisonment to comfort his imprisoned corps Freshly vpon the discouerie of the damnable powder-treason it was his chance to be taken to be brought before the honorable Lord Maior of London by whom being examined vpon suspition of his person and religion and asked whom he thought to be head of the Church of England without any difficulty he answereth thus the King which his answere might well haue deceiued that honorable person if he had not more narrowly obserued some other of his answers in which he found him faultering and thereupon committed him to the Counter where he staid not long he being afterward questioned withall by some zealous Romane Catholicks how he could without deniall of his faith concerning their article of the Popes supremacie acknowledge the King to be supreme head of the Church what replieth he peremptorily I meant not the King of England but the King of heauen the truest word he euer spoke for the King of heauen is indeed the onely supreme head of the Church of England and he added that he thought in respect of the dangers of the times that he might iustly vse such equiuocation Pardon me courteous Pontifician Readers that I thus particularize this man there is more in store I doe it onely that our English Ladies and some worthie persons of the deuout sexe may know what manner of men those are to whom they commit their secrets And if he hereafter deale with some of them as he hath alreadie dealt with a verie worthie Ladie too worthy for him or any other Pontifician Priest they will haue no great cause of Comfort in him or his like I could discipher the spirits of some other equiuocating and dicing westerne Priests to conceale the rest God turne their hearts to consider the states in which they stand and vouchsafe O mercifull Iesus in t 1. Pet. 2. whose mouth was found no guile nor deceit rather to confound them then suffer them to defend their equiuocating practise by your most sacred doctrine and immaculate examples of your purest conuersation The tenth Motive TO proceed
Anall Platin. in Adrian Irene caused the same by a Synod of Bishops to bee decreed in Nice And I pray you doe you thinke worse of your Iubilies because y Platina in Bonif 8. Walsing in Edward 1. Polychron lib. 7. cap. 40. Boniface the 8. who entred most ambiciously like a Foxe liued like a Lion and died like a Dogge brought them in beware of such mislikes it will not be for the profit of Romes purse Againe the Church of England is calumniated euery day by all the Ignatians as though she had no true orders or iurisdiction I dare affirme that in it there is as certaine and as assured a succession of orders spirituall iurisdiction as in the Church of Rome it selfe which hath so often tottered with so many schismes and hath bin pestered with so many Apostatical Popes as both Baronius and Genebrard deliuer I my selfe very lately searched for my own satisfaction the Records and I find clearly that Archbishop Parker was sufficiently truly and canonically ordered and consecrated by such Bishops as had receiued orders and consecration according to the Romane Church he swore not thou wilt perhaps obiect obedience to the Bishop of Rome a toy Where in all antiquity finde you the vse ofswearing subiection to the Bishop of Rome Romane Tyranny brought it in to the Church and Christian liberty hath exploded it It is indeede the soule of your Religion that subiection to the Bishop of Rome is a meane necessary to saluauation as necessary as Baptisme it selfe O prodigious Doctrin it is not enough say these men to saluation to be vnited with Christ and subiected to our immediate Pastors who are in vnion with the whole Catholike Church touching the Catholike faith vnlesse we be also vnited by immediate subiectiō vnto the Pope of Rome who may both be an Heretike and also contaminate the Church with his pernicious Lawes So that if a Pope Nerolike as Boniface the 8. would by pernicious Lawes draw you from Christ and like as a Heliogabalus as Iohn the 12. would draw you to all impurities and teach you to diuide the Church by opposing against the true Pope after his iust deposition by the whole Romane Clergy most Bishops of Italy assembled in a Synod or Ottomanlike as Paul the 5. will teach you against Christs institution not to yeelde temporall obedience to your lawfull Soueraigne if hee out of his throne take vpon him to dethrone him vnlesse forsooth you be subiect to such Vicars of Christ you cannot haue saluation in Christ O prodigious and vaine Doctrine of these times the holy Prophets O ye Britaine 's haue forewarned vs let vs beware of them What vile calumniation is that by which the reformed Churches of England are charged to deny the seeing of Gods face and glory vnto the Saints departed vntill the day of Iudgement What a slander that she respects no Holy daies of Christ or his Apostles I dare say that the memories of the Apostles are in many places of this Kingdome as religiously obserued as the Sundaies are with them but in the obseruation of the Sabbath our Lords day the Church of England doth so farre surpasse all Papistical Churches yea of Rome it selfe that it were a sinne to make any comparison therein betwixt them a Caluino Turcismo William Rainolds calumniateth Caluin that hee teacheth that Christ by his corporall death redeemed not mankinde A meere Calumnious imputation his doctrine is that Christ by his meere Corporal death had he not subiected himself to haue vndergone his fathers displeasure against mankinde and to haue clothed himselfe as it were with the deserts punishment and guilt of man he had not fully made that satisfactiō for mankind of which the Scripture so often speake of which doctrin who can be ignorant who is acquainted with holy writ Great is their spight against that man but notwithstanding all their malice against him he liued peaceably laboured faithfully and died Christianly leauing such a posterity of books behinde him which checketh the daily continual innouations of Rome Grieuous is the imputation to the English Church for condemning and contemning the ancient Fathers whereas the most it striueth for is to support that of b Tertull. lib. de prescriptio Tertullian Quod antiquissimum verissimum that which is most Ancient euen in the Fathers is most true At first when counterfeit Martials Abdias Clements Markes Dionises were produced the Prelats of the reformed Churches were more afrighted then hurt and to such Fathers they might iustly giue the Anatheme because such fathers had impugned and contradicted that Gospell of Christ the which whosoeuer though an Angell from heauen shall doe we are warranted by the c ad Galat. 1. Apostle to giue him the Anatheme But in and for true Fathers the Church of England reuerently and constantly auoucheth that of d Vincent Lirin contra Heres cap. 4. Tertull. de praescript Vincentius Lirinensis to take place Quicquid non unus aut duo c. Whatsoeuer not one or two but al together with one and the same consent openly frequently and constantly shall bee knowne to haue held written and taught that she also without any doubt knoweth must by her bee beleeued and this most iustly the English Church admitteth it being as cleare as the verie no one daies that all Fathers of the Ancient Church neuer taught helde nor wrot any thing in this sort which is not clearely agreeing to Gods word which is the onely Rule of Christian faith But iustly to retort vpon them who knoweth not that for most of their Roman nouel positions the Aduersaries haue no Ancient Fathers and therefore to defend themselues being vrged they do not produce Fathers but stand to their imagined Traditions written no where in Antiquity but only reserued in the Romane Bishops and Churches brests as they pretende this is their City of refuge as for example When a world of Fathers concurring with sacred Scripture is produced to shew that the Virgin Mary whose name bee euer blessed amongst and aboue all women was conceiued in Originall sinne yea some of them with S. Anselme auouching that shee was borne in sinne which I can hardly beleeue doe they heere sticke to the Fathers nothing lesse their imagined traditions must take place Againe when whole centuries of Fathers and those assembled in Synods bee produced to affirme that Popes haue beene and may bee Heretikes will they heare admit of the Fathers nothing lesse all records must be coūterfeit their own best Authors deceiued rather then the Fathers authorities admitted against their Popes infallibilies When irrefragable authorities of most ancient Fathers are produced to shew that the holy Scriptures are the onely inerrable rule of Christian Catholike faith and the square by which the writings and faith of all men and all Churches must be examined and tried will they heere allow the Fathers No alas they flye the field and seeke after some maimed sentences
by their bulles of deposition and excommunication c Bull. Sixti 5. Pij 5. contua Reginam charged vnder the paine of excommunication all English Subiects forceably to depriue that most Gracious Lady and Queene Elizabeth and although God of heauen had set her ouer vs yet the earthly god with his triple crowne to whom all power vpon earth was giuen as one of them speaketh sitting in the high throne of his See did d Bull Pij 5. vnqueene her make her as another ordinary Subiect But what were the English Chiefe-leaders guilty of any one of these plots and practises Let Cardinall Allen march first who although he * Related by the moderate Answerer would seeme to touch and reprehend those who gaue information to Pius the 5. it was not for want of good will to the matter it selfe but because the state of England did not then permit it ◠the Pontificians being not strong enough to put in execution Pope Pius his depositiue sentence for otherwise in his booke called the defence of English Catholikes hee doth most eagerly defend the Popes power to depose Princes and constantly auoucheth that he may charge all Subiects and authorize them to depriue Princes in case of Heresie and other needfull occasions of Church and Common Wealth the which doctrine as he doth most politikly and cunningly seeke to establish by sophisticall reasons and many deuised vntruthes so is hee most learnedly confuted by that singularly learned and iudicious Prelate the e Bishop Bilson of the supremacy Bishop of Winchester so soundly that neither Allen himselfe nor any of his Seminarists durst euer yet attempt to make any reply against that very learned and iudicious worke Againe call to minde Cardinall Allens declaration to the Nobles in England in 88 the which hee himselfe conceiued and dictated in very great haste to three or foure Scribes together at once to haue with speede more copies to send hither into England thereby to incite the Peeres and all Pontificians of this Kingdome to ioine with the Armado which King Philip of Spaine sent hither for the conquering of this Kingdome which Spanish fleete came also full fraught both with Pope Sixtus his prophesies his blessings and curses and with the blessings of their maide of Lisboe with a vaine prediction of their victory but through the power of God both Horse and Horseman were drowned in the Seas where most of their ships with the Popes blessings and curses made shipwracke God conuerting their curses vpon their owne heads These bookes of this Cardinall with many other of his discontented speeches against the English State before 88. doe discouer liuely how much he had borrowed of a worse spirit then that was which our Sauiour f condemned in two of Luc 9. his Apostles I say before 88. for I haue obserued since that time God checking by that miraculous ouerthrow his spirit he hath beene farre more moderate then Robert Parsons into whose soule how a double spirit of that kinde hath ascended from below it is almost superfluous to stand to prooue His Doleman which I know by some speeches that I haue heard from his owne mouth he purposely intended against the vndoubted Title of our most Gracious Soueraigne whom Iesus vouchsafe long to preserue and to intitle as much as lay in him the Archdutchesse with an imagined and chimerian title to the English Crowne and to that purpose he dispersed as many of those bookes into this kingdome before the death of Queene Elizabeth as he could conueniently earnest he was with me some fifteene yeeres since to haue brought some of * How often haue I heard this man reioice at the shuffling and ciuill commotions which he foreimagined would light vpon the English at Queen Elizabeths death How often haue I heard him say and Ios Creswell also with diuers other Ignatians that England will neuer be happy and fully conuerted without the sword and a conquest thereof his Dolemans ouer with mee into England which I vtterly refusing highly displeased him therewith Againe his publike reioicing when he heard by a false Alarum that the Spaniards had safely landed in England in 88. and his deiected countenance when that false newes by true report was checked How ioyfully did he trot vp and downe to carry the first newes amongst the Popes friends and Englands Enemies But good God how was hee confounded at the hearing of the second newes of the burning and drowning of the Spanish Fleete All Elements concurring to the confusion of Pharaohs host This * Diuers worthy persons haue obserued this spirit in Parsons especially that worthy Deane of Life D. G. who for his loue to his Countrey and openly disliking the Ignatians courses was by Parsons others of his fellowes procuremēts banished out of the low Countries mans spirit was euer thought to be plotting and deuising for Englands conuersion by Englands subuersion against which time he had prouided certaine rules of reformation amongst all which I will tell you one pretty one When England is conuerted at first said he there must not be admitted into it any religious excepting poore Capuchins and the contemplatiue Carthusians and his owne brethren the Ignatians for some selfe pretences as is obserued A politike deuise that so he and his might haue the shooting at the purse the hitting of it for * When in Spaine by a witty libell the Capuchine Friars were described to shoote from the purse the Franciscans wide of it the Ignatians were described to hit it in the very middest with this posie teattino which word signifieth Theatine and I hit thee Of this the Ignatiās complained to the present King who wittily replied to them Doe ye not then his the purse Fathers and all will be well the Capuchines hauing no possessions shoote from the purse the Carthusians being contemplatiue should not so much as draw an arrow to shoote at the purse and so he and his might carry away the bell and doe all and purse all How Ioseph Creswell another of that societie and an English Chieftaine hath beene tainted with that spirit it is too to manifest hee must forsooth carrie Priests that come from Spanish Seminaries into England vp and downe to visite the Peeres of that Kingdome and to take their leaues of them that they may bring some comfortable newes to the oppressed English of their Kings intentions for England hee must carrie them also vnto the late King of Spaine to kisse that Kings hands and to heare from the Kings owne mouth words of comfort not of patience to carrie to the distressed English Catholikes that hee forsooth would aide and assist them as soone as possibly hee could c. Oh how did I my selfe see and heare the same man about some fifteen yeres since applaud commend a certaine Spanish g Adelantado is an Admirall Adelentádo for protesting and vowing that if his master the King of Spaine would giue him leaue
whole English audience at S. Omers he did most bitterly inueigh against all such Priests as in England did allow and commend the Oth of Allegiance to be taken and according to his k Pat. Fea. name hee did so feake them that hee doubted not to call them Wolues yea rauening Wolues and although said he they say Masse minister the Sacraments say their other praiers liue vertuously and so appeare with the outward clothing of sheep yet they are Wolues their rauenous and woluish sinne being because they did not teach forsooth according to the order * Marke the nature of the Popes Mission as the Ignatians interpret it of their mission marke his words nor according to his commandement from whom they had their mission can you conceiue the mystery of those wordes the order of their mission in teaching the Oath of Allegiance to be lawfull surely this order of mission is that policy which Robert Parsons ment when to a certain Pope seeming loath to send such proper men into England as came before him to kisse his feet and to take his Benediction where it was probable they should fall into danger of death and saying that ere it were long he would take some other course for the conuerting of England that politik man replyed thus in the very hearing and not without admiration of those Priests Holy Father it is meet that they stay not but goe and that the l Parsous policy policy be still continued which word policy stroke so deeply into one of those m M. Wors Priests minds that he hath politikely kept himself out of England liueth still a poor life beyond seas rather then he will come into a Plentiful Country to vphold Robert Parsons policie with danger of his life When the Reporters of the late most detestable murther of Henry the fourth the French King was somewhat fresh and newes was brought how that most hatefull villaine Rauilliacke did seem to make some shew of repentance at his end in so villanous a sort as before God his repentance was as bad as the deed it self to wit in these words as it was reported that hee was sorry for that he had committed murther but not sorry that he had killed Henry the fourth the king of France which report when I heard I both detested and reproued the repentance as wicked and as diuelish but against me therein although diuers Priests and Recusants were at Table onely a certaine n Pat. Freem alias Warr. Ignatian Priest opposed himselfe desending Rauilliacke that in such a kind of repentance he might haue true and Christian contrition to which seriouslie beholding the man ashamed of his Spirit and almost of my selfe who was then a fellow prisoner with him I replied thus * A certaine pedanucall Ignatian in his confutation of Anticotton subscribeth his Epistle Dedicat. to the Queen of France thus Seruus bumilimus Cliens ob sequen sissimus O rator sidelissimus unus Patrum de Societate Jesu Father for so they must be all called you and your order haue little reason in any respect to defend that most wicked villaine considering what a Patron the late murthered King was to your Order but notwithstanding my reply he held on to maintaine his paradoxe He is now recollecting his spirit at Louaine God indue him with better Diuinity and sounder distinctions before he returne into this Countrey he was heere reputed halfe a Saint and therefore I doubt he may returne againe somewhat sooner then welcome to England Not many yeeres since there was a certaine worthy and very worshipfull Gentle woman for whose loyall heart to Prince and Countrey and for al those who with her haue issued from the same stocke I dare vndertake I am so well acquainted with their true English hearts and dutifull affections who being at S. Omers had and wore about her necke a certaine Iewell which was once belonging to a great Princesse The Iewell being very precious and of gold had set into it an Agnus Dei and vnder a cleare Christall vpon one side thereof it had the picture of our Sauiours face vpon the otherside the picture of our most excellent Soueraigne when hee was a childe but how that good Gentlewoman was taken vp by an Ignatian Priest in my hearing for wearing of it about her necke and before her breast because it had our Princes picture vpon it who as the Ignatian said was a persecutor and an enemy to Catholike religion I can tell because I heard his reprehensions of her and defended her wishing her and charging her in what I could to continue that custome still But since that time I being not long to stay at Saint Omers and returning into England I know not how they haue beene so busie with her that for one respect or other shee could not keepe it quietly but hath sent it away to Loretto when I saw the Gentlewoman at S. Omers some tweluemonth and more agoe I was very earnest with her to know vpon what occasion she had put the Iewell away but I could not possibly learne of her she respecting doubtlesse the Ignatian Fathers credit at S. Omers onely shee told me because she could neuer be in rest about it but that they would be still vrging to c I doe not well remember whether her word was to get or beg it get or begge it from her she vowed it to Lorette whither also shee accordingly sent it notwithstanding many oppositions against the same her fact where also now it remaineth hanging vpon the blessed Virgin Maries Picture which is there worshipped and adored These three particulars with some like which I partly haue forgotten partly omit I write not God is witnesse for any other end but to discouer their Spirits that they may be taken as they are for the very despisers of authority of whom the Apostle Iudas hath so expressely foretold long agoe admonishing vs to beware of them For it is a thing which I haue euer specially obserued that those who are the children of God are guided with Gods Spirit especially when they are prosecuting of the workes which apportaine to God if therefore these men do thus most egregiously abuse themselues in the deliberate prosecuting of their religious courses what may be thought of their Spirits They doe often impose as against the truth of the Gospell of the reformed Churches that * I dare stand to the defence of it that the liues of Calan Beza were more commen dable then the life of Parsons Creswell or Hoalt Garnet their famous Martyt who was as it is reported by honourable persons tipfie a very few daies before his end Caluin was a wicked man an incestuous man that Bean also was voluptuous man before he fell from them But let them not tell what maner of men they were when they were with them but when they left them when they were gon from them for if they liued vertuously religiously